From Shopping in the nude and the art of the naked protest to cycling in buff the Byron Shire has a long history of nudetastic events. Soon the Shire may be adding the Nude Olympics.
Previously held in Noosa, Alexandria Bay, the naked sports day has previously attracted large crowds of around 600 people. ‘It is all a bit of fun,’ said Stuart Whelan, public relations officer of the Australian Naturist Federation (ANF). ‘It’s more like what you’d find at a Sunday school picnic. There’s tug of war, an egg and spoon race and three legged races.’
Alexandria Bay has hosted naked events and bathing for over 60 years and the Nude Olympics has previously been promoted on the local council’s website. However, Queensland state government laws do not allow for legal nude beaches and an increase in police issuing fines in the area for wilful exposure lead to a decrease in numbers for the event last year. ‘Previously we had support from the local life saving club but they have said they can no longer participate as they can’t be seen to support an illegal activity,’ said Whelan.
This years event, planned for March, is now unlikely to take place leaving many people from South Australia and Victoria disappointed as they have planned their holidays around it each year.
‘Since the crackdown over the last 12 months in Alexandria Bay lots of people from Brisbane who used to go north have started to head to Byron Bay,’ commented Whelan. ‘One response could be similar to the NSW solution where local councils have the right to designate local beaches for nude bathing.’
If a solution can’t be found to facilitate the event taking place in Noosa then it is likely the event will be cancelled this year and they will have to move it.
‘We want to do it properly with all the necessary processes,’ said Whelan. ‘This past weekend we had an event at Samurai beach above Newcastle (NSW) with 500 people. We made sure we had all the approvals from National Parks and Wildlife etc.’
The Echo will continue to keep abreast of developments and inform its audience about this titillating and ballsy event that might be heading your way.
Yes, nudity is a very natural and non-sexual thing. The trouble is that there are some many highly sexualised messages in the world that people forget that not being covered by clothes can be normal.
Well said
Here Here ! go Naturist. We will visit and add our bit to the local economy.
I wouldn’t plan ‘nude olympics’ for Byron Bay yet, judging from the wowser uproar over lingerie ads on a bloke’s van and petitions to banning the Wicked campervans. Some advanced societies have no probs with nudity and risque fun, but this society haven’t arrived there yet. We still have the ayatollahs of prudery running the show.
There are dozens of nudist guesthouses here, such as mine, that send thousands flocking to Byron.. Its about time for a nude olympics. Lets kick it off at the tea tree lakes at Tyagarah, then down Belongil. It might put off the huge push by developers trying to beige down north byron to Tyagarah. It might also slow the infestation of prudes trying deperately to change the tolerant and free spirit of our shire by installing more Nats. The prudes wont run the show if we stand up to them.
Maybe they should call it Bums in Byron . Seeing all the original surf bums that lived there have been squeezed out by soaring real estate prices courtesy of the celebrity invasion . Maybe they should have been heritage listed ( Surf Bums ) . They are now a highly endangered species in Byron , got to be seriously cashed up to park your Bum in Byron these days naked or not .
Here is South Australia, the nude Olympics were run for years at Maslin Beach. Incredibly, the IOC (International Olympics Committee) threatened to sue the organisers over the rights to use the word “olympics”. Yes, believe it or not. So they had to change the name of the (continuing) event as Maslin beach. So anyone wanting a “nude olympics”up there would inevitably come a cropper with the “authorities” over the name. The following comments (below) should suggest a name for the proposed event on the North Coast.
GROW UP. AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY. HAVE YOU REALLY GOT NOTHING BETTER TO DO ?
Just because it’s not important to you, IT DOES’NT MEAN IT’S NOT IMPORTANT TO OTHER PEOPLE!! Grow up!!
Hi.Christopher.
I would like to know. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY??? Please don’t mind to share.
To me, Nude Olympic Games really an healthy lifestyle event which bring all Nudists in the world together and in addition, it helps to contribute the economy in Australia.
Nudism bring peaceful, love, safety, interest and benefits to Byron Bay City.
We should support them!!!
May I suggest Belongil Nude Carnival for a name?
Keep the OLYMPICS tag. The publicity when the IOC complain will be priceless